Perforated music-sheet



(No Model.)

W. H. GILMAN.l PERFDRATED MUSIC SHEET.

, N0.505,878. Patented Oct. 3,1893.

ITNEESESI Nvt-NTU R: @VKL/ f 77% /w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLARD H. GILMAN, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAMS. REED, TRUSTEE, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

PERFORATED MUSIC-SHEET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,878, dated October 3, 1893. Application tiled January 6, 1893. Serial No. 457,429. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, VILLARD H. GILMAN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Perforated Mu sic-Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to perforated musicsheets for use in the mechanical operation or playing of musical instruments.

It is the object of the invention to provide such improvements in perforated musicsheets as will adapt the same to use upon stringed musical instruments.

To this end the invention consists of a music-sheet provided with a series of columns of perforations, each of the columns embracing as many lines of perforations as there are strings to be depressed at the frets, and the number of columns corresponding to the number of frets employed, and a column having as many lines of perfor-ations as there may be strings to be picked, all as I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawing, and to the letters and figures marked thereon forming a part of this specilication, the said drawing showing in plan a part of a perforated music-sheet.

My invention is applicable particularly to music-sheets for use in mechanically operated banjos, mandolins, guitars, zithers, violins, and other stringed musical instruments in which the tones made upon asingle string are varied by depressing the same at frets.

As herein shown it may be supposed to be adapted to be employed in connection with a mechanically-played banjo.

In the column marked strings in the drawing there are five rows or lines for perforations marked 5, 4, 3, 2, l, in all but the first of which there are perforations a, one for each note in the piece of music to be played, no two perforations in this column being connected, nor single perforation clon gated.

In addition to the strings column of lines for perforations, there are ten additional col` umns, each embracing four lines, the said columns being marked lst. fret, 2nd. fret,

and so on to 10th. fret, and the lines in each column being marked 4, 3, 2,1. The last-mentioned columns of lines for perforaltions b are for controlling the means for depressing the strings of the instrument at the frets, and as at. times it is desirable to depress and hold down a string at a fret while more than one note is successively sounded thereon, certain of the said perforations may be elongated or two or more ordinary perforations be connected as indicated at c.

If a music sheet were constructed as shown in the drawing, it would be suited to play the first part of the piece known as IAIome, Sweet Home, on a banjo. There being tive strings in such instrument, there are five lines for perforations a in the strings column, and as but four of the strings are depressed at the frets in said instrument, (the Iif th string being always played open there are but four lines for perforations l) and c inr the frets columns.

The perfor-ations on the strings column are for controlling the means for sounding the notes, and there is one separate perforation in the said column for each note in the piece; while the perforations in the frets columns are for the purpose of controlling the changing of the notes, and two or more of said perforations may be connected, and it. is these features that distinguish my invention from that of ordinary perforated music-sheets in which each perforation only causes a note to be sounded, and hence they are not arranged in columns, nor do the perforations in one series or group of lines differ from another in structure. It will be understood of course, that instead of constructing my music as a sheet it may be made in the form of a cylinder or roll, and may be employed to control the making and breaking of electric circuits, or to control compressed air for operating mechanical devices for depressing the strings at the frets and for picking the strings, or be otherwise employed. 95

It will be further understood that if my improved music sheet were provided with any t devices in place of the perforations, as for example pins or projections, which would accomplish substantially the same thing in subroo stantially the same way as the perforations, it would fall within the scope of my invention.

In addition to the columns hereinbefore mentioned for producing music, another may be added, which in the drawing is marked Coin containing a perforation at a suitable 5 point to control the position of the coin in so called nickelintheslot machines, to deposit the coin in the receptacle, and stop the inachine or produce other results.

Having thus explained the nature of the ro invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, it is declared that what is claimed is- 15 l. A music-sheet provided with a series of columns of perforations, each column embracing as many lines of perfor-ations as there are strings in the instrument to be depressed at the frets, and the number of columns corzo responding to the number of frets employed,

and a column having as many lines ot' perforations as there maybe strings to be picked, all as is hereinbefore set forth.

2. A music-sheet provided with a series of 2 5 columns of perforations, each column embracing a plurality of lines of perforations,

and the latter differing in length or size, and a column embracing a plurality of lines of perforations all of the same size, as set forth.

3. A music-sheet provided with a series of 3o lines of perforations for picking the strings, and a series of lines of perforations for the purpose of changing the tones of a string, by depressing the same at the frets, as set forth.

4. A music-sheet provided with a series of 3 5 lines of devices for picking the strings, and a series of lines of devices for the purpose of changing the tone of a string by depressing the same at the frets, as set forth.

5. A music sheet provided with a series of 4o lines for producing notes and a line for controlling the position ofa coin in the machine operating theinstrument being played, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 45 name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 28th day of December, A. D. 1892.

WILLARD H. GILMAN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. CRossLEY, HERBERT A. HALL. 

